1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image making system and an apparatus therefor, and more particularly to a novel, excellent image making system which enables the formation of a combined image of an optical image of an original and an information image based on a light beam modulated by an information signal and an apparatus therefor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are known laser printers, CRT printers, etc. in which printed images are obtained by exposing a recording medium such as an electrophotographic photosensitive medium to a laser light or a light spot of CRT tube modulated by an electrical signal. These apparatus are usually used as the output printers of computers, word processors, etc. and would be more convenient if original images such as figures or graphs can be inserted during the printing to thereby form a combined image.
As an example of such apparatus, mention can be made of the apparatus disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,462 (issued to Hirayama et al on Oct. 24, 1978). This is also known a method of combining images by constructing the apparatus so that both a laser light or a light by an optical fiber tube (OFT) and an original image can be applied onto an electrophotographic photosensitive medium and selectively changing over the two to thereby effect combination of images provided by the original image and electrical signal.
Where the image combination as described above is carried out by the utilization of an ordinary electrophotographic copying apparatus, it is usually the case with the copying apparatus of this type that the side on which effective scanning of the original carriage is started is determined as the reference position and an original is placed while being adjusted to that reference position and when the scanning of the original is started, feeding of transfer paper is started in synchronism with scanning means which scans the reference position. A latent image corresponding to the optical image of the original is formed on the photosensitive medium, and then developed. The transfer paper is fed synchronously so that it arrives at an image transfer station when the developed image arrives at the image transfer station. The optical image is recorded at a predetermined location of the transfer paper.
Again during the formation of a combined image, image formation is started concomitantly with the original carriage scanning start timing and feeding of the transfer paper is also started at the same time. Of course, in this image formation process, the optical image of the original and the information image based on the light beam modulated by an information signal are selectively provided in accordance with the combined image. However, in the case of a layout wherein an information image portion is first disposed and the optical image of the original is disposed in the subsequent portion as a combined image in such an image making system (see FIG. 1B of the accompanying drawings), the original must be disposed at the center of the original carriage which is deviated from the scanning start side reference position of the original carriage (see FIG. 1B of the accompanying drawings).
Accordingly, in the formation of the combined image, in order to put the original image into a desired location, it is necessary to look for the corresponding location on the original carriage and place the original on the original carriage in accordance therewith. However, the image by the electrical signal is invisible before it is printed and therefore, the above-described position adjusting operation is very difficult to do.
Moreover, where the original image L.sub.0 is disposed at the center and information images L.sub.1 and L.sub.2 are disposed at the fore and the rear as shown in FIG. 1A, it is necessary to read the fore end and rear end positions of the original image L.sub.0 disposed at the predetermined central location on the original carriage 1 by means of a scale 1a provided on one side edge of the original carriage 1 and to set the control timing, and the operation for accurately obtaining a desired combined image becomes very complex.